Activities Fee: Where Your Money Goes

Ashley Noble

Being a college student, paying a hefty tuition, it is very likely that the thought about where exactly your money goes has crossed your mind at least once. Here at C.W. Post, the average student dishes out more than $40,000 a year towards classes and other fees. One of the fees includes the “Student Activities Fee”. It is required by all students, whether they are a resident or a commuter. The Student Activities Fee is $110 per semester. According to Fernando Mendoza, Student Life and Leadership Development Associate Director, “the Student Activities Fee is put to good use. It goes to fund all the student clubs and organizations on our campus.” At Post, we are the home to more than 60 clubs and organizations that all hold general member meetings, as well as all different types of events such as bake sales and parties on campus.

All on-campus clubs are given a set budget at the beginning of each school year and they are able to use the money however they see fit in order to fund the club’s activities whether it is to hold an event, go on an off-campus trip, or make items to represent the club, such as t-shirts or an official club banner. The two clubs on campus that have the largest budgets are Student Government Association (SGA) and Association of Campus Programming (ACP). These clubs are well known for hosting and funding campus-wide programs such as C.W. Post Welcome Week, C.W. Post Homecoming, C.W. Post Spring Fling, Be Seen in Green tables, Blood Drives and more. If necessary, clubs and organizations often go to SGA and ACP for help to fund an event or project that it is beyond their budget. SGA and ACP are clubs on campus that approve and allocate all expenditures as well as handle the Budget and Appropriations forms before any money is given to a club or an organization. The process is daunting but it is all to make sure that no one’s money is put to waste.

Since you are paying a fee for student activities, you as a student should be taking advantage of every activity on campus that interests you! There is something for everyone at Post. Become a member of a club or organization, and be active in campus life. If you feel that C.W. Post is missing something, start your own club by bringing your idea to SGA. The sense of being a part of a group will definitely enhance your time spent as a student, as well as give you plenty of memories to look back on once you have graduated!

If you would like to join any club or organization, check out the school’s website, liu.edu/cwpost for a brief description each group under “Student Activities”. You can also visit the Office of Student Life and Leadership Development located in Hillwood Commons to find out a club’s meeting times as well as the club’s contact information.